Communications within particular places, such as within office environments, more specifically dental offices, medical offices, or law offices, have traditionally occurred through the use of intercom or telephonic systems. Typically, such systems allow an individual to “beep” or otherwise alert another individual who is located in a different part of the office that the one individual wishes to speak to the other individual. The other individual can then respond and the individuals converse. Such systems may also include the ability for an individual to broadcast a message to an entire office such that the message is heard from all or less than all of the other intercom devices attached to the system, such as when one individual desires to page another individual who is not present at a known location.
Such inter-office communication systems typically require a hard-wiring of all the intercom devices present on the system in order to function. Alternatively, such devices may be wireless, although this typically results in greater cost of the system. Also, certain of these systems require extensive amounts of equipment such as speakers placed throughout the office in order for broadcast communications to occur.
Certain systems which allow for such intercom functionality also exist in traditional telephonic systems where, for example, a receptionist is able to speak to a user in a particular office or may broadcast a message to all telephone devices in the office. Telephonic systems with such capability are typically more expensive than telephonic systems without such capability and are often undesired in offices where individuals do not wish to be disturbed with the constant interruption of voice broadcast messages. As such, the limited functionality, intrusiveness, and considerable cost associated with traditional intercom systems does not make them attractive to many offices where inter-office communications are desirable.
The advent of electronic communication networks, such as computer networks, in office environments in recent years has provided a new mechanism for inter-office communications. Such networks include, for example, local area networks and Intranets. Additionally, wide area networks, Internets, and Extranets may be used by offices for inter-office communications, particularly in situations where a company has offices in different geographic locations. These networks typically require a great deal of equipment, including one or more servers, numerous terminals, and hardware and software to connect all the elements of the network. Consequently, establishing such networks often results in a great deal of expense. Once such expense has been incurred, it is desirable to provide as much functionality to such networks in order to maximize their benefit.
Messaging software is known which permits a first user at one terminal on such a computing network to send a message to a second user at another terminal on the network such that the message appears on the second user's screen. For example, Microsoft® Corporation provides pop-up messaging software with its network operating systems which accomplish such tasks. Such messaging systems are limited in their usefulness, however, as they are of limited functionality and the message recipient must be present at her terminal in order to see the message and must be looking at the monitor attached to the terminal in order to read the message.
Additionally, it is known to communicate across computer networks using voice communications. For example, certain devices, commonly referred to as Internet phones, exist which allow a user who is connected to the Internet to speak to another user who is also connected to the Internet using a microphone or other similar device attached to a computer. The second user is able to hear the first user through a speaker attached to the second user's computer. In this same way, the second user can then speak into a microphone and is heard through the speaker at the first user's computer. Additionally, it is known to use such devices over local area networks. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,434,797 to Barris, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,677 to Luther et al., disclose the transmission of digital audio files over local area networks for communication between workstations on the network.
While these devices permit voice communications across a network, they are limited to direct communication between individuals at two Internet Protocol addresses. Further, such devices have the undesirable characteristic of transmitting relatively large streams of audio data across a network. As such, they are generally transmitted across networks at speeds slower than that of smaller data streams, such as text, and often cause congestion on such networks. Typically, audio data sent over such networks, especially low bandwidth networks, results in poor quality audio at the recipient's terminal. Higher bandwidth networks, while better at transmitting such data, can nonetheless quickly grind to a halt when numerous and large data streams are transmitted thereon.
Previous attempts at communication across electronic networks have to date been largely inadequate. As stated above, known means for communicating across electronic networks are of limited usefulness. Systems which allow a user to communicate audibly with another user are limited to one-to-one communications and require prohibitively large audio data streams. Other systems which allow a first user to send a message to a second user located at a different terminal on the network require the second user to be at the terminal and to view the message on the terminal's monitor. Such systems provide limited functionality.
Therefore, there exists a need for a system and method of communicating in a manner similar to that employing traditional intercom systems which can use existing electronic communication networks, therefore obviating the need for the additional expense and effort associated with establishing such an intercom system. There further exists a need for such a system and method which allows for reliable communications among multiple users on such a network. Still further, there exists a need for a system and method for accomplishing these goals in an efficient manner. The present invention is directed towards meeting these and other needs.